IT contractors in the north-east have been afforded a boost thanks to the region's hosting of a major digital and technology conference.

The Sage in Gateshead was home to the UK's third Thinking Digital event, which this year accommodated 750 delegates from 19 different countries, nebusiness.co.uk reports.

One of the attendees, professional Microsoft blogger Steve Clayton and ex-boss of the company's cloud computing division, said his perception of the north-east's digital industry had been "shaped by this conference".

"Before it started, if anyone had asked me where the creative digital hubs in the UK are based, I would have said somewhere like Manchester," he told the news provider.

"But not now - the north-east is pretty high on the list."

Despite the uncertainty in the economy, the north-east's digital economy has continued to grow, and the industry's strength is likely to have been boosted further by the three-day event.

Thinking Digital is organised by Codeworks, which focuses supporting and developing digital organisations based in the north-east.